Do not attribute breast cancer to witchcraft- Vice President

Vice President Dr. John Dramani Mahama on Friday cautioned Ghanaians against attributing the incidence of breast cancer and other diseases to the activities of witches and wizards.

“The time has come for us to stop attributing the outbreak of diseases to witches and wizards and rather work hard to change our lifestyles that were creating so many health challenges for us on daily basis.”

Vice President Mahama gave this caution in Kumasi during the second Susan G. Komen Ghana race for breast cancer cure campaign on the theme : “Africa, Get Involved, Together we race for the cure.

The programme which was organised to create awareness and education on breast cancer disease, attracted patrons from all over the country and beyond.

There were also survivors of the disease from Ghana, the United States of America, Zambia, South Africa, France, and Ivory Coast among others.

Vice President Mahama gave the assurance that government would do everything within its purview to create the necessary education on the disease and appealed to people, particularly those from affluent homes to be moderate in their intake of alcohol and oily foods among others to avoid diseases such as stroke, liver and kidney failure.

He advised people who experience abnormal development on their breast to report to the relevant health authorities, rather than resorting to traditional healers, who end up aggravating their health conditions.

The Vice President said government would continue to invest in the health of all Ghanaians by providing mammographs and other equipment to facilitate the detection and cure of the disease in various health facilities in the country.

Dr Beatrice Wiafe-Addae, President of the Breast Cancer Project in Ghana said deaths resulting from breast cancer disease was decreasing in the developed countries than in developing nations because of the high level of awareness, and called on government and other corporate bodies to support them to reach out to more people across the country.

She explained that breast cancer patients could live for so many years if it was detected early and urged women not to panic anytime they are diagnosed of the disease.

Nana Kwesi Bosomprah I, Omanhene of Goaso Traditional Council, who represented Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the programme, advised married women to share their health challenges with their husbands who would assist them to seek redress at the relevant health centres.**